Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Sustainability is a key issue in all of this. I have been talking about it since the very start of the crisis. We know that the childcare sector has been underfunded for years and this was the straw that broke the camel's back for most providers and staff working within it. I have been asking about a sustainability fund for the childcare sector and the one that exists for community services. I have not got a clear answer as to whether that fund will be used to help childcare facilities that now have debt due to the Covid closures and may not be able to reopen. I would like a reassurance from the Secretary General that there will be a sustainability fund to assist them. Otherwise, there will be closures and job losses.

I also want to ask about the wage subsidy scheme. Can a commitment be given to continue the payments under that scheme at the full rate, not the 85% rate?

As Dr. Lynch said in his opening statement, the very reason it was set up was to keep people in the sector, and we will see them leaving the sector. The Department will put providers in a very difficult situation. If they had a staff of 20 and they can only bring back ten, for social distancing reasons, how do they pick which staff to bring back? The Department is creating a very difficult situation. My next questions are about the sustainability fund and the wage subsidy scheme.